Pirates of the Caribbean: Another 'What if' Story
by Astonishingness
Summary: 17 years have passed since Jack left Angelica on the Island and for 17 years he's been trying to get the Pearl out of the bottle. Until one day a young girl comes along, who claims to know how to free his ship. And somehow, she seems oddly familiar...
1. Prologue

_AN: Okay, first of all: I know, this thing has been done before and that's why it says "another what if story" in the title. It's a little self-irony. And I want to apologize for spelling and grammar mistakes. English is my second language, but it shouldn't be too bad. I'm actually good at it (it's about the only lesson I'm good in). _

_Also, I won't be able to update until next weekend, because I'm away on a one-week class trip. _

Prologue

Jack Sparrow sat in a dark corner of a bar in Tortuga, sullenly staring at the small bottle on the table in front of him.

17 years. 17 goddamn years and he still didn't know how to get the_ Pearl_ out of the bloody bottle. Obviously, his theory about the trumpets and weird finger wiggling didn't help at all, but that was to be expected. He had never been serious about it in the first place.

His staring was interrupted by two drunken pirates fighting, resulting in one of them landing on his table with a loud bang. The pirate's body missed the bottle by an inch and Jack quickly scooped it up into his arms, cradling the _Pearl_ to his chest.

"Hey! Watch out! Don't you dare breaking me ship!"

The pirates didn't give him any attention but continued the fighting. Jack Sparrow sighed. Things had changed. His name wasn't a thread anymore. It seemed people had already forgotten how dreaded he had been all these years ago. Before he had left Angelica on the island and before he had started to spent all his time searching for a way to get his beloved ship out of the bottle. He had tried everything, without any success.

Someone snickered beside him and Jack lifted his gaze to see whoever it was. He could make out a rather petite, feminine frame casually leaning on the handle of their sword, which was stuck into the rotten ground of the bar.

"I see. You still haven't given up on that thing." The person stated in a clear, melodic voice that obviously belonged to a young female.

Jack looked the girl up and down, squinting his eyes and inspecting her. Long, dark hair fell in waves over her shoulders and the candlelight mirrored in her eyes. The dim light didn't allow him to see any details of her face.

He eyed her skeptically.

"Do I know you?"

She chuckled, pulling her sword out of the ground and sitting down across from him.

"No. But you should."

The girl sat nearer to the candle now and Jack could vaguely make out her features. She reminded him of someone, but he couldn't remember who it was. He shook his head. His mind must be playing tricks on him. Maybe he'd had too much rum tonight…

"So, you say I should know you…" he began, leaning across the table and a little closer to his new acquaintance. "So enlighten me, young lass. Who are you?"

"I won't tell you my name just yet." She said, batting her long lashes.

"And why's that?"

She smiled a sly smile of straight, white teeth.

"You might get scared…"


	2. Chapter 1: The smile of a devil

_AN: So, back from jolly England (that's where the class-trip was). You English folk are some funny people. But the food is awful (no offence). Otherwise the trip was fun but the family was weird and I had a major argument with my roommate :-/ _

_To the Chapter: I know, it looks like I'm not going anywhere and it's a lot of dialogue. But I just have to do this before I get the plot started and I'm sorry if it's boring. I think this chapter is kinda good concerning the language. And btw: it's completely intended to make the girl a little… unlikable. That'll change later on. _

_And, very important: A great, big thank you to all the people who reviewed. You guys rock! It was awesome to come back and find 7 reviews for the prologue. You're the best! It motivates me a lot to see that there are people who like what I do!_

Chapter One: The smile of a devil

Jack laughed at the young girl's comment.

"You obviously don't know who yer talking to, luv. I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, the one and only. There are no names that make me scared. I'm not scared of anything!"

_Okay, maybe that monkey_, he added in his head, but chose to keep that bit of information to himself.

Her full lips curled up into a grin.

"I'm rather sure that you will be scared of this, Jack Sparrow."

"Captain! It's Captain Jack Sparrow!" he insisted, a low growl emitting from somewhere deep in his throat. He has never been a particularly patient man and there was something about this girl that drove him crazy. She seemed to be a little too sure of herself in his presence.

"Well, doesn't a captain have a ship?" she asked, lifting her eyebrows a little and giving him a crooked smile. There was no denying that she was mocking him about his situation with the _Pearl_.

Jack shot daggers with his eyes and lifted the bottle up to her eye-level.

"I do have a ship! And I'm perfectly happy with it!"

The young girl chuckled.

"I'm sure you are. And you keep it in a bottle because it's handier that way, huh?"

Jack's face scrunched up in anger and frustration and a mere second later he had the girl pinned up against a wall and his sword to her throat.

"Better don't push your luck. My ship might be in a bottle but this sword is just fine."

For the smallest fragment of a second, Jack saw something flicker in the girl's eyes. Fear. But that little moment was gone as fast as it had come and a second later she looked him straight in the eyes, her look full of pride and completely composed.

"I wouldn't do this if I were you" Her voice was a little hoarse and not quite as collected as her body seemed to be, but her stare was of such intensity that Jack didn't even notice her little moment of weakness as she spoke.

"And why not?" he spat, pushing the blade just a little bit more into her skin. For 17 years he'd been trying to get his _Pearl_ out of the bottle and she just came along and made fun of him. Jack Sparrow's patience had an end.

"Because." The girl started. "I might just know how to get the ship outta there."

The sword was gone from her throat in a split of a second and Jack's angry expression was quickly replaced by one of hope and curiosity.

"And how do you plan to save me ship, young lass?"

She rolled her eyes at the nickname and tilted her head to the side in a thoughtful manner, choosing her words carefully.

"I won't tell you that just now. In fact, I came here to make a deal."

"A deal?" Jack repeated. She nodded.

"I'll tell you how to get your ship out of the bottle, but only after you help me with something that is very important to me."

Jack raised an eyebrow, somewhat intrigued by the girl. "Go on."

She leaned across the table, their heads nearly touching and only now did he see the deepness of her eyes. If he could only remember who she reminded him of.

"You need to help me get what is mine." She made a pause. " The _Queen Anne's Revenge._"

Jack's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"_Queen Anne's Revenge? _That's a huge vessel for a little girl like you. Why not start with something of smaller size? How about a cute little sailing boat?"

The girl's hand met the wooden surface of the table with a loud smack, causing Jack to flinch.

"I'm not a little girl and I'm sure as hell not interested in a 'cute little sailing boat'! The _Queen _is rightfully mine and I intent on getting it back to its rightful owner!"

"Whoa! Calm, young lass!"

"The _Queen _is to me like the _Pearl _is to you. You want your ship I want mine. So either you help me and get your ship, or you don't and spent the rest of your life searching for a way to get it out, and failing miserably, I might add."

Jack pondered for a while.

"And you are sure that no other ship will do? The _Queen Anne's Revenge _is not an ordinary ship, after all. And least not as long as Barbossa is still in possession of the sword…"

"I am well aware of this. And that's why I need you. You know the one-legged man and you could show me how to trick him. You are experienced with swords and I want you to train me, so I can fight the one-legged man and get what is mine."

The captain's look turned into one of dissatisfaction.

"I take it you won't tell me how to free my ship if I don't agree to this."

"No, I won't."

He slumped back into his chair, a disappointed look in his face.

"I hate breaking it to you, luv. But you won't survive something like this on your own."

"Then accompany me."

He choked.

"Please what?"

"It would be a new adventure, something to get your name back into people's heads. Captain Jack Sparrow, the man who fought the one-legged man and now again, Captain of the _Black Pearl_! How does this sound?"

She smiled at him, a smile of childish enthusiasm, revealing the mental youth behind the façade. Jack shook his head at the girl's naivety.

"Sounds bloody suicidal to me. Us two against a magic ship and it's crew?"

"Who said I don't have a crew?"

"You?"

She smirked.

"Surprised?"

Jack vehemently shook his head.

"Of course not! I always assume little girls to have a crew of their own." He retorted sarcastically.

The girl's face scrunched up in the exact same way Jack's did only a minute before.

"I'm not a little girl!" she said through gritted teeth, her otherwise high voice coming out as a growl. She crossed her arms over her chest. It was Jack's turn to smirk. He had found a weak spot- her age, or rather people not treating her with the respect she wished because of her youth.

Jack looked her up and down once more.

"Hmm. About 5'3" in height, arms stubbornly crossed over the chest, high-pitched voice. Sounds pretty much like a little girl to me."

"It's not high-pitched, okay? It's… soprano."

Jack nodded his head in amusement, deciding to annoy his new acquaintance just a little bit more.

"I'm sure it is, little girl."

He gave a self-assured grin, happy that he won their little battle and he had to admit that he found the young girl quite amusing, despite her annoying ways.

Suddenly, he saw something flicker in her eyes and immediately started choking. He couldn't breath. It was like someone was strangling him, but there was no one even close enough to touch him. He frantically looked around the room, his eyes meeting the girl's and he realized that she was smiling at him. The smile of a devil.

_Okay, that's it for now. I actually planned to make this chapter longer but eventually decided to cut it here, mostly due to lack of time and because I somehow like cliffhangers (if you can consider this one. It's kind of obvious, after all). I hope you enjoyed this little chapter. I hope the next one will be longer. Summer holidays start Wednesday, I'll be able to update by Thursday, I guess. I won't make promises though. Wow, I've been talking a lot. Sorry for that…_


	3. Chapter 1 Part 2: The deal

_AN: So, okay. First of all: I know, I planned to update like, a week ago and I'm sorry for that. But real life is causing trouble at the moment since I'll move town soon and am kind of busy with preparations. And here I come with a chapter that isn't a real chapter at all. This is just the part which I originally wanted in chapter one (I'll probably make them one chapter later on). I've already written more than this, but it turned out that it'd be a really long chapter and plus, I didn't want to leave you hanging so long. It's an awful lot of dialogue again, but like I said: I need this to get the story started. Sorry if it sucks. _

_And I want to thank all the people who reviewed, favored this story or put it on alert: You rock!_

Chapter One (Part 2): The deal

The pressure to Jack's throat was gone just as fast as it had occurred. He inhaled frantically, his stare still on the girl who bit her lip in an unsuccessful attempt to keep from smiling.

"YOU! You've got something to do with it!" he accused his counterpart and pointed a finger at her. He was still panting.

The smile slowly faded from the girl's face and was replaced by an expression of fascination.

"Interesting." She observed, not bothering to answer Jack's accusation. "So this voodoo-stuff actually works."

Jack's gaze dropped to her hand, which she had tucked into the pocket of her coat. She pulled it out and with it a familiar little doll, resembling Jack himself.

"Where did you get this from!"

She shrugged nonchalantly.

"A family-gift."

"Give me me back!" he shouted now, one hand reaching for the doll and the other for the handle of his sword. The girl moved her hand the slightest bit, tightening her grip on mini-Jack and causing the original to gasp for air once again as he felt like someone was crushing him. Slowly, the girl's grip loosened, enough for him to breathe but still tight enough to make him feel squeezed in an unpleasant way.

"Better don't try to harm me again or I'll tug a little too much on the little guy's head." She threatened, a sly smile playing on her lips. And suddenly, Jack didn't see a little girl anymore but a young woman with a look of determination. A woman to be scared of, even. Now he understood why she was so sure of herself. She didn't have to fear him, because she had something to hold against him. And as long as she was in possession of the doll, she wouldn't have any reason to be scared. She could harm him in the worst way if she felt like it.

For a moment, Jack wondered how she'd behave if she didn't have the doll. Would she be scared? Timid? Unsure? He looked at her again and she grinned wickedly at him.

"You're evil." He said, earning a melodic soprano laugh.

"I'm a pirate by blood. It's supposed to be that way, isn't it? And now, back to the deal. Yes, I do have a crew and unlike you, I also have a functioning ship-"

"I could have any ship if I wanted to! I just don't want any ship. I want the _Pearl_!"

She held up a hand to silence him.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. But we need a ship to get to the _Queen_. And we need the _Queen's _location, and that's where I need you."

Jack frowned and felt the girl's grip release completely from the doll. Apparently, she had put it back into her pocket.

"And why on earth should I know where the bloody ship is?"

"You don't know that. But your compass does. If I use it, it will show me the way. You still have the compass, right?"

Jack swallowed. How did she know about his compass? His right hand went into the pocket of his coat, taking a firm grip on said item, like he somehow feared that the girl had managed to steal it.

"Err. Yeah. Of course I still have it."

She nodded.

"Good." She paused for a second to collect her thoughts. "When we have found the _Queen Anne's Revenge, _we will kill the one-legged man and get the ship and with it the sword. Then I'll be able to get your ship out of that bottle and if I happen to be in a generous mood, I might even get the spell from the voodoo-doll for you. That's the general plan. So, do we have a deal?"

Jack just stared at her face and fell silent. She knew how to get his ship out of the bottle _and _how to get the spell from the doll. He had to admit, he had underestimated the girl. And he realized that she had power over him. He didn't like that thought. He didn't like it at all.

The girl snapped her fingers in front of his face.

"Hey! Anybody home?"

"Uh. What? Yeah. 'Course. What was the question again?"

She rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"If we have a deal."

"Oh. Right." He thought for a minute. This girl knew everything he needed. He knew how to fight with a sword and had the compass that the girl needed. It seemed like a useful alliance. Especially since he didn't know what she might do to mini-Jack when he declined the offer…

"Alright, luv. But under one condition." He raised his index finger to her face. "I will be the Captain!"

Jack watched as the girl's eyebrows furrowed and she crossed her arms over her chest.

"No way! My ship, my crew, I'm the Captain." She gave him a pointed look.

"Well, then I think you'll have to do this without me, young lass."

He stood up and turned to leave, secretly hoping that she would stop him and decide to make him the captain of her ship.

"Then you'll never get your ship out of the bottle!" She called after him.

Jack turned with a smirk.

"Oh, I will. You told me all I need to know. With the sword, I'll be able to get my ship out."

"Oh, Jack. I thought you'd be smarter than this."

She stood up now, too and approached him, stopping just a few inches away from him. She looked up at him with fiery eyes.

"The sword is the key, but do you know how to use it?"

"I'll figure it out. Don't worry." He wanted to turn and leave again but was stopped by a grip on his arm. He turned again and frowned down at the girl.

"Would you let go of me?"

"The sword is useless to you. It's important, but not the only thing you need. You know neither the ritual nor the other necessities and apart from that…" She smiled smugly. "You can't do it on your own. There are exactly two people in the world that can help you with that and you are fortunate, because I am one of them."

Jack looked skeptical.

"That's what they all say."

The girl threw her hands up in the air, waving them about in utter frustration.

"¡Dios mío! Fine! Try on your own! Go ahead! Waste our time! No one's stopping you. But don't forget that I know the ritual, I know the things you need, I have a ship and a crew and plus, I still have that doll of yours!"

Jack saw how she stuck her right hand into her pocket, ready to take drastic measures if he attempted to take the doll away from her.

He sighed in defeat and plopped down on a chair.

"You know," he started. "I always knew that one day I'll get what I deserve. I never thought of it as a girl with a doll, though. But now that I think of it, it's a good punishment. Embarrassing and degrading."

"So, we have a deal?" She asked, a victorious smile spreading on her face.

"Only if I'm co-captain. And there needs to be rum!"

She looked thoughtful for a minute, as if contemplating Jack's condition. Then she smiled.

"I guess I can live with that."

_Again, sorry that this is all I've got for now. Things will start in the next chapter, with an appearance of Gibbs and maybe (depends on the length of the next chapter) even a look at what Angelica is doing right now. I plan to make it some kind of B-Plot since she won't actively be in the sorry for a while otherwise, but I'm lacking ideas for it right now, still playing with the one I have but I'm unsure if I'll really do that…_


	4. Chapter 2: Welcome on board!

_Please read!_

_AN: First of all, I want to apologize that I fell off the radar again. But we moved and I didn't have a lot of time._

_I have a few notes to make for this chapter: a) Sola Fide Beach –I always thought that it was Rumrunner's Isle where Jack marooned Angelica, but internet tells me otherwise. Just so no one is confused. b) Angelica's part is just a short reflection of her thoughts about the past 17 years. I know it's short, but the next chapter will definitely have more of her in it. Her part in this chapter does happen around the same time as the rest of this chapter. She is on her way home from a little trip and has not found out about her daughter being missing (she will in the next chapter, though. And I really look forward to writing it since there will be someone who she will be very angry with. Muahaha!) _

_Bear with me for this chapter, it didn't turn out like I wanted it to. I'm not content with it. Not at all._

_And thanks to all the people who reviewed, favored and put this story on alert!_

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 2: Welcome on board!<span>

" Wet! I hate being wet." She mumbled under her breath as they stepped out of the pub and into the pouring rain. Jack nodded his head a little, but it went unnoticed by the girl as she kept on walking but stopped when she realized that Jack was not right next to her anymore. She waited until he caught up before continuing her way to the docks. She seemed to insist that he walked right next to her, which Jack found unusual. He would have expected her to walk ahead with big steps and head held high to make him walk behind her like a dog. Not that he complained.

He used the light of the full moon peeking through a hole in the clouds to take a closer look at her. She was kind of short and her hair was already soaking wet and sticking to her back. Her clothing was unusual for a woman but nothing Jack hadn't seen before. It consisted of a white blouse, which had gone transparent by now, but the corsage-like vest she wore over it kept the lustful eyes of Tortuga's men away but at the same time gave her outfit a feminine touch despite wearing trousers.

She had a funny way of walking, a bounce in her step and her arms moving quite a lot. Jack found it amusing to watch her and chuckled a little as he imagined her fighting against muscular men with years of experience. It would most likely not only look ridiculous but also end unwell for her. She wouldn't have a chance.

"What's so funny?" she asked and stopped to look at him. Her voice sounded irritated.

"Nuthin', young lass. You just don't look like a pirate to me…"

Her eyebrows furrowed.

"Well, looks are deceiving, Mister Sparrow."

"Captain!"

"Whatever."

They continued their march to the docks in silence for a while.

"You drop the Captain from my name but don't want the pleasure of walking in front of me. You sure are one strange girl."

She turned her head to look at him but kept walking.

"There aren't many rules my mother told me that I actually follow. But this one is an exception: Don't ever turn your back to a pirate."

It was quiet for a while and the only things audible were the rain and the splashing of their feet whenever they stepped onto the wet pavement.

"Smart rule." Jack muttered.

The rain was unbearable and Jack heard the girl curse under her breath at the wetness as they stepped through several puddles of water.

"Jack? What are ye doin'?" a voice suddenly asked out of the night's darkness. Both Jack and the girl turned around to see a shadow running after them and eventually into the moonlight, revealing an older, rather plump man.

"Gibbs?" Jack asked. The girl arched an eyebrow.

"A friend of yours?"

"Only the best. My loyal companion and first mate." He grinned at his friend. "What takes you here? I recall that you planned to join a crew for a new voyage."

"Oh, so I did. The ship is leaving port tomorrow. I was just on my way to the ship when I saw you and the wench."

Gibbs gaze landed on the girl, looking her up and down.

"They keep getting younger. Seriously, Jack. She's barely a woman."

"Err. She's not-"

"¡Tonto! I'm not a prostitute! Do I really look like one to you? What are you even thinking of me?" the girl snapped at Gibbs, her hands on her hips and a glare on her face. She took a step towards him and poked her sword in his chest. Jack watched his mate holding his hands up in surrender.

"My sincerest apologies. It is just that it is usually these women in Jack's company. I'm sorry, Miss…?" he trailed of as he didn't know her name.

"She won't tell you her name -" Jack stated, but was interrupted by the girl holding out her hand to Gibbs.

"Sofia." She introduced herself then smirked at Jacks surprised expression.

"What? You won't tell me but _him_?"

She chuckled. "The first name isn't the secret. I could've told you, too."

"Then why didn't you?"

She shrugged. "More fun for me." Then she let go of Gibbs' hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Gibbs. I didn't mean to be impolite, I was just a little offended but since it was not your intention I can look past that." She said sweetly, suddenly just a little girl and no trace left of the threatening young woman from before. Jack grumbled silently to himself. She was a manipulating, sneaky little -.

"Now, why are you with Jack?" Gibbs asked the girl, first looking at her and then giving a questioning look in Jack's direction.

"He'll accompany me on a mission." Sofia explained. "You might want to join our voyage as well?"

Jack brightened up and marched over to his friend, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Yes! Come with us." He said with a grin, then leaned in and added in a whisper. "I have a plan."

* * *

><p>Sofia's ship wasn't special, not very fast and with few cannons. The <em>Revenge<em> would sink it in a matter of seconds and even the young woman seemed to be aware of this, as she claimed that this was only her transitional-ship.

"She's lost without me. Just look at this ship." Jack whispered to Gibbs as they stood in front of the vessel and inspected it. It wasn't nearly as big or imposing as the _Pearl_, only had two masts and was poorly armed. Jack assumed that it had been a ship of a small trading-company before. It wasn't made for battles.

"It's better than a dinghy!" Sofia hissed from beside him. Jack flinched. He hadn't planned for her to overhear him. Gibbs chuckled and grinned amusedly.

"Seems like someone has met Scarlett and Giselle."

Jack glared at him.

"Shut it!"

Sofia got on board and both men followed her on deck. They found themselves with about 20 crewmembers, all of them working meticulously on whatever task they had. Some were scrubbing the deck, others were occupied mending the sails and a group of three stood in the far corner and passed around a flask of rum.

"They got rum!" Jack announced and turned to share a smile with Mister Gibbs. "I might just like it 'ere." He answered. Although he had not explicitly said anything about it, in their minds it was already set that Gibbs would come with his old friend. Master Gibbs still didn't like the fact that they'd be captained by a woman (bad luck!), but Jack had a plan and when this was the case, an adventure wasn't far.

Sofia impatiently tapped her left foot on the floorboards, obviously waiting for someone to notice her.

"Hey!" she yelled and crewmen's heads shot up to look at her.

"As you can see, I have brought company." Sofia announced after the crew had gathered in front of her. "Some of you might recognize this face." She made a sloppy gesture towards Jack. "But even if you don't, I'm sure that you have heard of him…"

"It's Jack Sparrow." A voice in the crowd whispered and the other men started talking animatedly.

"Captain." Jack muttered.

"AND!" Sofia raised her voice to get attention again. "He will be your co-captain. His instructions are to be followed, just like mine. If he happens to give different instructions than me, then follow mine."

"Wot?" Jack turned his head to her. She smirked and made a gesture towards her coat.

'Doll' she mouthed, before speaking up again.

"Mister Gibbs will be my first mate. Oh, and before I forget: Nobody will mention my surname on this ship! Everything else will be treated as mutiny."

The look on her face softened. "And now you can celebrate. Tomorrow, we'll set sail."

She turned around on her heel and headed towards the captain's quarters, leaving her crew alone and Jack starring after her. He nudged Gibbs' shoulder, finally speaking out the question that's been lying on his tongue ever since he saw her.

"Doesn't she remind you of someone?"

Gibbs looked thoughtful for a second, then he shook his head. "No, not really. Who does she remind ye of, Captain?"

Jack still stared at Sofia, who was talking to a rather tall, muscular crewmember in front of the door to her quarters. He inspected her in the slight drizzle that was left of the rain. Then he shrugged.

"Never mind."

* * *

><p>Jack had sneaked up and hidden under the stairs that lead up to the helm, trying to catch a glimpse of the conversation between the lass and the sailor.<br>"Why the name thing, Captain? I thought you wanted to tell him?" the crewmember questioned. Sofia shook her head, sending wet stands of hair flying around.

"Paul, I said that I want him to figure it out himself and if he doesn't, then I _might _tell him. It's not up to you or any other crewmember to do this. It will be my decision if, and when I'll tell him. And I want you to stay out of it, savvy?" Her voice held a threatening edge and the crewmember backed down immediately, muttering an excuse under his breath and bowing his head before he left to join the other pirates. It was curious how a man of his mass was servile to a young and physically inferior woman like Sofia. _Pathetic_ Jack thought.

* * *

><p>Angelica stood on deck, her hands holding on to the railing, the wind playing with her hair as she gazed out at the open sea.<p>

Although she had sworn not to return to piracy or the sea until her daughter was grown up, there were times when nostalgia hit her and her longing became unbearable. It was a craving for a salty breeze, for waves splashing against the wooden walls of a ship, a longing for pure freedom.

It was not the first time that she had allowed herself to spent some time on the sea, it had happened several times before and always left her with a sick feeling in her stomach. The waves made her happy and bitter at the same time. They harbored memories of pleasurable nights on the beach of La Martinique and at the same time reminded her of the many weeks she had to endure on Sola Fide Beach so many years back. It reminded her of the two men that she had loved. Her father and Captain Jack Sparrow. Both had left her in the end.

"_Wait!" she called out and made him stop. "I'm with child. Yours." _

_He gave her a look of utter disbelieve._

"_I don't recall that we've ever had-"_

"_You were drunk!"_

"_I've actually never been _that _drunk!"_

Jack had not only left her, but also the child. _Their _child.

Her grip on the railing tightened as the memory flooded her mind, the suppressed feelings of resentment fighting their way back into her head.

Angelica had never been a woman who got scared easily. But back then she had been scared. She had been scared when she noticed her body changing, she had been scared when she felt the baby kick for the first time and she had been scared when the first contraction came and she knew that there would be no one by her side. She had never wanted help from others in her life, had always wanted to be independent but that fateful day in January, she would have given anything for someone, _anyone_, to be there to hold her hand.

It was this rainy day in January, when she looked down at her daughter's face for the very first time that she swore to keep her save. _'Your father has left us. But you don't need him. And neither do I. It'll only be us. You don't need to meet him. He'll only leave you hurt and I won't let that happen.' _And she had kept this promise.

Her daughter grew up to be a very bubbly, curious little girl, never easy to handle and quite a troublemaker. But when she wanted something, nobody could resist her charms. Just like her father.

People kept telling Angelica how much Sofia looked like her, the hair, the eyes. But when she looked at her daughter she didn't see that much of herself in her, but an image of Jack. The way she walked, the exaggerated gesticulation whenever she talked about something interesting, the defined cheekbones and nose, but most of all that infamous smirk that found its way to her lips when she had an idea. Sometimes, it was almost painful to look at her.

She didn't want to think about Jack. It did her no good. The smile dropped from her face and her hands left the railing and clenched to fists. She harbored a lot of anger towards him ever since he had left her and she had never been able to release her aggression. She kept swallowing it and sometimes, when she could hardly endure it anymore she would open up the chest in her bedroom and take out the little doll. She wanted to punch it, to squeeze it, to stamp on it, even. But she had never used it. Everytime, something held her back…

* * *

><p>Sofia entered the captain's quarters and closed the door behind her before she leaned against it and slit to the ground. She pulled the voodoo doll out of her pocket and held it in front of her, pensively turning it around and inspecting it from every angle. With a quiet sigh she put the doll onto her lap and let her mind wander.<p>

Today's events had been rather disappointing. Being the little girl she still was at heart, she'd had quite high expectations of the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow- even though people didn't talk much about him these days. She remembered the tales her mother used to tell her on rare occasions, when Angelica was in a surprisingly good mood and forced herself to look on the bright side of things. These things didn't happen often, and Sofia had learned to treasure these moments even more because of that. Most of the time, Angelica's words had a bitter taste whenever she talked about Sofia's father. He had left her, lied to her, killed her Papa. That's what Sofia heard most of the time. But she herself never believed all that. There had always been that part of her that held on to the good things she knew; the things that her mother only told her of on these special, rare days. There must be another side to him, Sofia had been so sure of that. However, after she met him today, she was not so sure what to think of him anymore. When she was little, she had held on to the illusion of a father she had created in her mind- a proud, decent man who had a reasonable excuse for his absence in her life. Jack Sparrow most likely had no excuse and no interest in her whatsoever. Granted, she had not told him about who she was. But she had hoped that he would recognize her, or at least express some kind of interest. She was giving him hints, she was being kind of obvious, but still, he didn't seem like he even had the slightest intuition. And it hurt. Because somehow, deep down, she had expected him to.

Meanwhile, Jack and Mister Gibbs had emptied a few bottles of rum with the crew. It turned out that the majority of the men didn't have any experience in terms of piracy. Sofia had taken over the ship about two weeks ago, forcing the sailors to either sail under her command or join their former captain in the open sea with only the perspectives to reach a lonely island or die.

And who ever Sofia was, her name seemed to be a big deal, as the crew appeared to be genuinely afraid of her- or at least of a namesake or family member. And no one dared to say her name.

Paul was the lass' poodle, always obedient and diligent. Jack thought that he was either really stupid or something had happened that gave him a reason to fear her. The first option seemed to be more likely, though.

It was later that night when the crew was already under deck in their hammocks that Gibbs and Jack stood on deck, quietly making plans.

"So, Jack. Ye said that ye have a plan?"

"Yes. First, we need to gain her trust. Then, when she feels save, we get mini-Jack."

"And how exactly do ye plan to get the doll from her?"

Jack pursed his lips and took a sip from the bottle of rum in his hand.

"Still working on that one. I'll just do what I always do. Wait for the opportune moment and then improvise."

"And after we have the doll?"

"Then, me friend, we'll make sure that _Captain _Jack Sparrow is exactly that. Captain."

Gibbs head snapped up.

"Mutiny?"

"Aye."

* * *

><p><em>Another Author's note: Okay, this is off-topic, but I had this really strange dream about Jack Sparrow and I just HAVE to share this with you guys. It was basically that Jack walked around a town and saw people getting married and decided that he wanted to get married, too. Since he didn't have a woman and only had a sausage with him, he wanted to marry the sausage. And so he searched for a captain of a ship to marry him to the sausage, but every captain he asked refused and laughed at him. Then he met Barbossa who agreed to marry him to the sausage, Jack was happy and my dream over. Oh yes, and during my dream Jack kept talking to the sausage and calling it 'wifey'. Really, only MY brain can come up with stuff like this. Should I worry? <em>


	5. Chapter 3: Unreliable Bastard!

_AN: So, here's the new chapter. We'll learn a little more about Angelica, although I found it hard to describe her feelings in this. A mix of anger and worry isn't easy to portray, at least not for me. Anyway, have fun and be so kind to leave a review. Don't be shy to point out mistakes that I made (And I'm sure there are some). I always like to learn and improve my English this way. _

_And again, special thanks to everyone who reviewed, favored me and put this on alert. You are still amazing! I feel so… flattered. It really boosts my ego. _

_Special thanks goes out to my cousin, Anna-Sophia, who inspired me for this Chapter. Danke, Anna. Du bist meine Muse!_

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 3: Unreliable Bastard!<span>

Sofia stood on deck and watched the sun rising on the horizon, painting the sky in a mixture of pink and orange. The ship had left Tortuga about an hour ago, and although her vessel wasn't extraordinarily fast, the little patch of land was already out of sight. They were surrounded by nothing but the deep waters of the sea.

The weather was perfect today; dry, not too hot and with strong winds to carry the ship. And yet, there was a scowl plastered on Sofia's face as she cast away her gaze from the beauty of the sunrise and looked down at the ring in her palm. It was undeniably lovely and expensive; a silver band with a sparkling emerald. It must've cost a fortune. But all that didn't matter to the girl. With a sly smile she closed her fist around the piece of jewelry, took a deep breath and threw it overboard. She carefully leaned over the railing and watched as the ring was swallowed by the dark and untamed waves.

"Have fun saving money for a new one." She muttered to herself. There was a chuckle behind her.

"A past love, huh? Give the guy some credit. It was a good ring. Why'd you throw it overboard? It's a waste, lassie."

Sofia turned around and found herself face to face with Jack. She glared at him. Jack held up his hands in surrender.

"Now, young lass. No reason to give me that kind of look. I was jus' sayin'. Your loss." He shrugged indifferently and his gaze dropped a little. The blouse she wore today exposed her shoulders and revealed a bandage on her left one. He raised his eyebrows and sent her a questioning look.

"What happened there?" He pointed a finger to the bandaged shoulder. Sofia grinned.

"Let's just say the former Captain of this ship wasn't exactly thrilled when I took over."

She turned and started walking to the helm, Jack following not far behind.

"I heard the man got overboard and I can't help but wonder _How_ a young girl who claims to need me help to learn how to handle a sword managed to do that."

They had reached the helm by now. Sofia turned around and smiled.

"I used my magic powers to trick him." She declared, a glint in her eyes that made Jack doubt her words. She might know a thing or two about voodoo, but she wasn't a witch. Jack was rather sure that she was messing with him once again, and he still didn't like it.

"You're not a good liar, me hearty." He answered.

She merely shrugged.

"Stupid questions receive stupid answers in return. It wasn't my intention to fool you."

Sofia grabbed the helm and let her fingers skim across the wood. They both stood in silence for a while, neither knowing what to say. Jack took that opportunity to observe her once more. He knew it was ridiculous, but something in the back of his head kept screaming at him to notice her. He had a strange feeling of déjà vu when he looked at the girl's appearance and temper, but he refused to acknowledge it.

"So, you spent your time with whores?" Sofia pulled him out of his reverie. There was an evident accusation in her voice that Jack did not understand. Why did it matter? He merely shrugged.

"What can I say. I'm a man and I'm a pirate. It's a pirates life for me, savvy?"

He flashed his infamous grin and Sofia scrunched up her face in disgust.

"You are despicable!"

"So I've been told."

* * *

><p>Angelica had been looking forward to her return for a while now- not because she missed the small hut or the little village- but because it had been six weeks since she had last seen her daughter. She knew that Sofia hated it when she left. The girl always wanted to accompany her, the sea called out to her like it did to her parents. And it was exactly this that kept Angelica from taking her daughter with her on a ship, because the mother was certain that if Sofia sailed once, she would never want to return to land again. And Angelica would do anything possible to keep her child away from the sea- especially from pirates.<p>

She always brought home little gifts from her voyages, as an excuse for her absence. This time it was a brilliant black pearl from Tahiti. Sofia would love it- alone for the symbolism of it. _Black Pearl_ just like the ship. A spiteful smile crept onto her face. Even if Jack still had the bottle, there was no way he could free it. Only Angelica knew how; and Sofia, although she wasn't sure if her daughter even remembered. But, knowing her hijita, who absorbed every bit of information concerning her father, she most likely would. But even that wouldn't help him as he had abandoned Angelica, and with her their child.

Angelica eventually reached the little hut and opened the door with anticipation.

Andrew jumped from the chair he'd been sitting on.

"Angelica!" he exclaimed. Angelica caught on to the nervous edge in his voice immediately. She scanned the room. Her daughter, who was _always_ the first one to welcome her home, was nowhere in sight. Had she left, because she was fed up with Andrew watching her? Had Andrew been watching her in the first place?

"Where's Sofia?" she asked sharply, skipping any form of greeting.

"Sofia, Sofia, Sofia. I'm happy to see you again, too, Angelica. It's always about _her_! Let's just be alone for a moment, okay?" He tried to keep his voice soft and stepped in front of her, placing a hand on her waist. Angelica shook his hand off and scowled up at him.

"Where is my daughter?" she repeated, the hint of a hiss in her voice. She tried to stay calm, but that had never been a talent of hers. Andrew didn't answer.

"Tell me!" she yelled and the man flinched.

"I don't know."

In a split of a second, Andrew found himself roughly shoved against a wall.

"What's that supposed to mean 'you don't know'!"

He had infuriated her. Her glare was a strange mixture of rage and worry. He attempted to move, but she pushed him back to the wall.

"Answer me!"

"I really don't know. I haven't seen her in two weeks."

"TWO WEEKS? You were supposed to watch her!" She grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him away from the wall, only to ram him back into place. Andrew winced as his back collided with the stone. Angelica's eyes glistened with tears of anger and distress.

"What part of 'never leave her out of sight' did you not understand!", the enraged Spaniard growled, clenching her dagger in her fist.

Andrew didn't dare to say a word. And apparently, that had been a mistake. Angelica's dagger hit the wooden door next to him, only a centimeter away from his head.

"Bastardo poco fiable!" she hissed. Then she turned and stomped off to her bedroom.

She hastily fumbled with the chest while mentally sending out a prayer for the doll to be inside. When she finally succeeded and the lock snapped open, she found the chest empty.

"No."

She rose up again, hasting over to a cupboard on the opposite wall. She pulled the door open with such a force that she nearly ripped its handle off.

The cupboard held less things than usually- her sword and pistol gone.

She shook her head and blinked away a few tears of worry. Angelica was a strong woman, but Sofia was her weak spot- her baby, no matter how grown up.

With a firm look of determination, Angelica rushed back into the living-room. Andrew was still standing where she'd left him, the dagger still sticking in the wall next to him.

She walked up to him and pulled her weapon out, before turning around towards the kitchen area.

Andrew watched Angelica rummaging through a closet.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

Angelica put a few supplies from the closet and put them into a woolen bag.

"What do you think I'm doing? I'll go after her!"

She turned on her heal and hurried towards the door. Andrew followed.

"How do you know where to look? She could be anywhere by now!"

Angelica stopped and spun around to glare at him.

"Exactly. And it's _your _fault!" She clenched her hands to fists to keep her temper.

"Let me come with you." He pleaded. The guilt was shining through the green pools of his eyes. Although he was 42, his eyes held a strange youth in them. Angelica sighed. It was as much her fault as it was his. She shouldn't have left him alone to watch her. Maybe, if she had taken Sofia with her before, her daughter's desire for the sea would have lessened.

"You're only a carpenter, Andrew. You can't help me, and neither do I want you to." She spat. He had violated her trust in the worst way possible- hurting her on the one spot she was easily hurt.

"Please. I want to make it up to you. I've been reckless. But we'll find her!"

Angelica shook her head and walked out of the house. She knew that Andrew ran after her, still pleading to be forgiven, but she ignored it. If he wanted to follow her, she would let him. She had warned him, after all. And, although she didn't want to admit it, she needed him. Two people could sail a ship. Doing it alone was impossible.

Andrew wasn't a fighter- he had never used a sword in his life. His chances of survival were down to zero, if it weren't for Angelica. She didn't love him like she knew she should, but nonetheless, he meant a lot to her.

* * *

><p>"How do you even know where to sail?" Jack asked after he had watched Sofia steering the ship for half an hour. "You haven't asked for me compass, yet."<p>

"We don't need it. We won't be looking for _Queen Anne's Revenge_ just now. Like you already pointed out in such a nice manner: 'Look at this ship!' We need a new one and supplies."

"Hmm. Ye got a point there, lassie. So, when will be reach port?"

"Two hours."

The girl was right. Two hours later, they reached a small port on one of the many islands in the Caribbean Sea.

Jack took in his surroundings. There were no significant ships, nothing worth commandeering.

"That woman can't be serious." He muttered to Gibbs who stood by his side.

"I told ye, Jack. Women on board-"

"I know, I know. But we'll get rid of her. I'm just waiting for the opportune moment."

"The opportune moment for what?" Sofia's voice spoke, appearing seemingly out of nowhere. Jack spun around.

"The opportune moment to… commandeer one of these wonderful vessels!" He made an exaggerated gesture towards the other ships and grinned innocently. Luckily, Sofia rolled her eyes and didn't question him any further.

"We won't commandeer any of these…" she looked at the other ships. "Boats."

"So you lead us here for nothin' then?" Gibbs spoke up.

"No. We'll take a walk."

Jack and Mister Gibbs exchanged a questioning look.

"Huh?"

* * *

><p>"So, we'll steal a ship?" Andrew asked. He and Angelica had reached the port and were hiding behind one of the ships.<p>

"Shhh! Be quiet! Or would you like an appointment with the gallows?"

Andrew fell silent. It was only now that he realized the weight of his decision to join her. If they were caught, they'd both be punished for piracy. He swallowed and straightened himself. He wasn't going to back down now. This was his opportunity to show her that he was better than she thought. Andrew wanted nothing more than to impress her, to prove that he was capable to fight when it was necessary.

He loved her, no matter how much he despised the daughter who had successfully tricked him. It was Sofia's fault. It all was. If it weren't for the girl Angelica wouldn't be so reluctant towards him. It was only because Sofia disliked him that Angelica held him at arms-length. At least that's what he thought.

Angelica looked around the port once more and after realizing that that there was only one officer, stepped out of her hiding place. Andrew stayed behind, unsure what to do and what exactly her plan was.

"Hello, officer." She greeted in a voice of fake innocence. The officer, a relatively short, overweight man, turned around and smiled politely.

"Good day, Miss. How can I help you?"

Angelica took a step towards him and smiled seductively.

"Well. Maybe you can find out for yourself what I desire." She breathed and took another step. She stood so close to him now that the tips of her feet nearly touched his. Andrew scowled from his place behind the ship.

The officer blushed a little.

"Oh. I-I don't think that it's appropriate. But maybe we could meet up when my shift is over-"

Clash!

A bottle hit the officer on the back of his head and he fell straight forwards. He would have fallen into Angelica, but she took a step to the side, watching as his body collided with the wooden ground. Her gaze snapped up towards Andrew, who had emerged from behind the ship without her noticing and held the remains of the bottle in his hand, a proud smile on his face. Angelica glowered at him.

"That was _not_ part of my plan."

"But it worked out fine, didn't it?"

The woman huffed, took the officers gun and turned around towards one of the ships in the port. She was about to walk up the ramp when she heard other people approaching.

"Hey! Man! Woman! What are you doing?"

Five other officers had appeared on the docks, two of them pointing their weapons at Angelica, three at Andrew.

The carpenter held up his hands in a gesture of surrender and sent his companion a warning glance. Angelica rolled her eyes at his quick capitulation while she herself pulled out the unconscious officer's gun…

* * *

><p><em>I hope you liked it. I plan to write two one-shots, btw. I don't know exactly when I'll find the time to do them, let alone release them, but I just thought I'd let you know. And I'm still unsure about Andrew. I thought it'd be a nice twist for there to be another 'love interest'. However, he is a very vague character and I don't know if I'll even keep him in the story. Actually, right now I'm in the mood to give him an honorable, heroic demise, but that can change…<em>


	6. Author's note I know they're annoying

Author's note (I know they're annoying…)

First off all, I want to say sorry. I know it seemed like I'm dead, but: I'm still alive! I just have what you call "writer's block". Plus, there has been a lot going on in my life. I moved town, changed school, wrote class tests, made friends et cetera.

And I wrote the worst English test I have ever written. Seriously. In Germany, we have the grades 1-6, one being the best and six the worst. I always write ones or twos in English (the other subjects not so much…). The test now was a 3- and I felt like : "wtf? I suck!" so I felt like even if I continued writing, I'd be bad anyway.

I haven't abandoned this story. As a matter of fact, I think about it quite a lot and in my mind the formulations are always fine, but as soon as I'm sitting in front of my laptop, I can't manage a single usable sentence. This feels like damnation!

And I feel like the last chapter was… wrong. I didn't write it with the "Yay! Writing! That's fun!"- Attitude but I forced myself to write it, really. I seriously consider deleting it and writing a new one, maybe even change the plot. I'm not sure whether this chapter really sucks or it's just my perfectionism.

Anyway, fall holidays just started and I really hope to update within the next two weeks. If you have suggestions or comments, don't be shy and tell me. I'm desperate for anything inspiring!

A thousand times sorry

Malena


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